Liberal democracy

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Liberal democracy, also called Western-style democracy, is a form of government that combines the organization of a democracy with ideas of liberal political philosophy. Common elements within a liberal democracy are: a representative democracy with multiple viable political parties and universal suffrage; a separation of powers into different branches of government, including an independent judiciary; the rule of law in everyday life as part of an open society; a market-based capitalist economy with private property; and state-guaranteed protections for the human rights, civil rights, civil liberties, and political freedoms of legally equal citizens. Under liberal democracy, government authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure. In practice, such systems often draw upon a constitution, either codified or uncodified, to delineate the powers of government and enshrine the social...

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